Tours Tuesday

Summer is over. Winter is upon us. That doesn't mean that you can't still have summer fun.

Lo-fi, beachpop bands Wavves and Best Coast are going on an international tour this winter. I hope to be able to see them when they make their way to Boston on February 2nd. The neat thing about these two bands is that the frontmen and front women are dating! Isn't that neat? Also they smoke a lot of weed.
Here's the complete list of dates

Best Coast: Boyfriend
Wavves: King of the Beach

Girl Talk released a new album yesterday. Girl Talk will be touring around the world this winter as well. The last three years on New Year's Eve I spent in my basement playing Rock Band with Matt. This year I will be at a Girl Talk concert. He's in Milwaukee on New Year's Eve. Here's the complete list of dates.

Girl Talk Tour

Music Monday

It's a great day to be a music fan. Today Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) released his new album for free! You can download it below.
Download Here

In less interesting music news I picked up Bad Books first album. I've written before about how much I enjoy the musical stylings of Manchester Orchestra as well as their numerous side projects (Right Away, Great Captain and Gobotron). This band is all of the members of Manchester Orchestra as well as label-mate Kevin Devine. There are definitely influences of some of Manchester Orchestra's older music as well as a new voice, found in Devine. Hearing this album gets me all the more excited about Manchester Orchestra's upcoming third LP.

You Wouldn't Have to Ask
"You Wouldn't Have to Ask" is one of the best songs on the album.

Two Thoughts

-Pinkerton is Weezer's best album. Why did it take me so long to hear it?

-Studio 60 is an awesome show. The only reason it got canceled was because America is stupid.

New words

Rivers are crazy huh? Just yesterday I was flying to Washington D.C. for something or another. For the majority of the flight all I could see was clouds and farmland. Brown farms followed by white clouds. Then as I was looking out that airplane window I saw a river blue as the sky. This was no stream either. It was big. And wide. I think. There's no way for me to know how big it actually was. I'm terrible at sizing things up, especially from an airplane. Much bigger than the house next to it at least. Was this super river? It very well may have been.






Writing is hard. And math.

Life's Greatest Mysteries- Lakes

Today we explore one of the great unsolved mysteries of modern time. It seems nobody has been able to answer these questions in the few decades we've had the internet.

How many fish are there in a lake?
A hundred? A thousand? A thousand fish in one lake? You could tell me any number really and I would have no idea. Who knows how many fish there are hiding in their secret lake lairs?

How does one go about draining a lake?
A large wet-dry vac? Is there a cork that is removed at the bottom of the lake?

When a lake is drained of all it's water, where does all the water go?
It sure as hell isn't in the lake, so where is it? Peoples backyards? The sky? Other lakes? Nobody really knows. Stop kidding yourself.

What about the fish? Where do they go?
I don't know. You don't know. I don't believe that anybody knows.


I hope that you'll join me next time as I continue to ask the hard hitting questions on today's greatest mysteries.

Daily Dose- Surfer Blood

I got turned on to these Florida surfer boys by one of my friends. He had sent me a message that simply said, "You will like Surfer Blood." He was right. The way that I've been describing this band is by telling people to imagine that Weezer's blue album and Vampire Weekend's African drum beats had a music baby and they named that baby Surfer Blood. Tracks like "Swim" and "Floating Vibes" capture not only the joy of a warm summer day in the water, but also effectively channel that classic "surf movie soundtrack" sound. This is one of my favorite albums so far this year.

Listen:
Swim

I hate you

Listen to this song while you're reading please

Click ME!


I don't know why I periodically write in this blog. In my head it is so that I can share with you, the uninformed world, some of the movies, music and other culture that I personally enjoy. Maybe you will enjoy it too. Here's the thing. I hate everybody else that likes things that I like. Pretty much none of my friends that I see on a daily basis are interested in the same things as me. The people that I do share these things with seem to hate me as well. That's fine. In my head they are all phonies anyway. I assume that they only like these things because they think it is the popular thing to do. Maybe that's true for some. Maybe I'm only contributing to the problem that I believe exists. I hate those that "claim" they like the same things as me, but I also look down those that have never heard of anything that I am talking about. Maybe these things just seem to make people less friendly or open to new friendships. In my head there's a war raging between the ignorant that I believe only listen to Nickelback, think Dane Cook is "mad funny", and hail Transformers 2 as the best movie ever and the people that only shop at Urban Outfitters, orgasm at the very thought of Monsters of Folk, and "am a vegan now".

I know what you're probably thinking because I am thinking the exact same thought. "Jon, you just described yourself." That's what I'm afraid of. The last thing that I want is to come across as a self righteous hipster that will do anything to let you know I found out about a band or other popular thing before you. If that's what seems to be going on then I need to just stop writing this thing forever. The most important thing in life to me is honesty. There is nothing that I hate more than a faker or a phony. If you have to change yourself so much in order to get others to like you or at least accept you, then you are a phony. Do what you want and don't care what others say. Look at me. I don't honestly think that my long hair looks good. I just wanted to grow it to the longest it will ever be. When I deem it acceptable, I will cut it off. My "mustache" has obviously not been occupying my upper lip for the past two months in order to pick up chicks. I just think it looks funny and that's all. I also don't ride a scooter to impress girls. It's just something that I love to do. I know it's not cool or popular, but there's nothing I love more in this world than having scooter practice by myself in a parking lot listening to whatever is inspiring me to ride. In my own eyes, I'm too eccentric and like too much weirdo stuff to be normal, and I'm a little too normal to get along with the people that share my passions. I know that this entire entry probably sounds like I am an elitist hipster douche. There's nothing I can think to write that will change your mind. All I know is that there is nothing that I hate more than a faker or a liar and I am able to live with myself quite alright. I must be doing fine. Be true to you. Don't listen to me. Don't listen to anyone. Be you. Don't be somebody else. Do whatever you want. Live your life. Not the life you think somebody else wants you to live.

Maybe I'm jaded from subconsciously absorbing and taking on the attitudes of all the broken, cynical, pathetic song writers that I love and look up to. God knows that I have never had any real trauma in my life, and I will be the first to admit that. I have been extremely blessed to never have had to go through anything that broke my soul or changed my life for the worse.


HERES SOME STUFF
Local Natives- Basically Copeland with Fleet Foxes melodies featuring Arcade Fire.
Wide Eyes

Death at a Funeral- Great British film being "Americanized" by black people. Do yourself a favor and watch the original. (with white people)

If you haven't seen Shutter Island yet, you are missing out. I was literally pooping my pants with excitement the entire time I was watching. Intense stuff! Go see it. I may do a post on it soonish.

I BOUGHT THINGS TODAY

MOVIES. ONE YOU HAVE HEARD OF. ONE YOU HAVE NOT.

FIRST: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
YOU HATE IT BECAUSE YOU THINK IT IS EITHER
A. CHICK FLICK
OR
B. TOO INDIE FOR ITS OWN GOOD.
FIRST OF ALL. GET A LIFE. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE READING THIS BLOG. THIS MOVIE HAS THE FUNNIES AS WELL AS THE LOVIES. I BET YOU LAUGH WHEN YOU WATCH IT.

SUMMER IS HOT.

SECOND: THE FOOT FIST WAY
THIS IS THE MOVIE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NEXT TALLADEGA NIGHTS OR ANCHORMAN, HAD ANYBODY ONLY SEEN IT. NOW YOU CAN SEE IT BECAUSE I TOLD YOU TO. I GOT IT FOR $5 AT BEST BUY AND YOU CAN DO THE SAME ANYTIME IN THE NEXT WEEK. STARRING DANNY MCBRIDE OF MOVIESTAR FAME, IT IS FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY. GO DO IT NOW.

MAYBE I WILL BUY MORE THINGS SOMETIME SOON?!

Daily Dose- Fratellis

Daily Dose


Fratellis- Costello Music
Just picked up this album. I like it quite a bit. Every song is so catchy and infectious, it's impossible not to bob your head along with the beat. One of their songs was on an iPod commercial a few years ago I believe?

Listen to- Flathead

7 Months of Updates

This post is for everybody. It will be quick and painless. These are things that I experienced and you need to as well.

Music

Vampire Weekend- Contra.
Sophomore album from the New York prepsters. More quirky drum beats. More talk of east coast. More fun.
Try White Sky

Say Anything- Is a Real Boy...
Concept album originally meant to be a rock opera epic. Huge songs and grandiose ideas. I love that sort of thing, so this was one of my favorite albums last year. I do realize that I am a few years late to the party.
Try Alive With the Glory of Love

Every Beatles album ever
Not much more to say. The Beatles were huge last year. As well as every other year.
Try Magical Mystery Tour

fun.- Aim and Ignite
Exactly what it says. Lots and lots of fun. Format and Steel Train alum join forces to form one of the best new bands of 2009. Saw them in September and they did not disappoint.
Try All the Pretty Girls

Bon Iver and Volcano Choir
Two projects headed up by Justin Vernon. Both excellent soft albums. Volcano Choir is eerily beautiful.
Try For Emma

Fleet Foxes LP and Sun Giant EP
You think that you don't like folk-pop. But you do. You really do a lot.
Try White Winter Hymnal

Manchester Orchestra/Right Away, Great Captain/Gobotron
Manchester Orchestra is probably my favorite band ever. Their ability to take you places in songs that you didn't even know existed is incredible. The highest high one moment and the lowest low only to redeem itself seconds later in the song gets me every time. I cannot sing the praises of this band enough. Do yourself a favor and check them out. Right Away, Great Captain is the lead singer, Andy Hull's, side project. Each song is meant to be an entry in the journal of a sailor many years ago. Gobotron is another side project of Manchester and is just great pop fun.
Try Shake It Out

Johnny Foreigner- Waited Up Til It Was Light
Frantic guitars. Frantic dueling vocals.
Try Salt, Peppa, and Spinderella

Film

The Hurt Locker
Think war movies are overdone and played out? This gritty, emotional look at the war in the middle east will change your mind.

(500) Days of Summer
Yes. I'm straight. Great movie. Hilarious. Real. Not a traditional love movie.

NOT AVATAR
This movie blows. That's all.

Inglorious Basterds
Love Tarantino. Enough said.

Moon
How can a movie with a cast of so few people be so incredible? I have no idea.

District Nine
A great performance from newcomer Sharlto Copley in the lead role helped this movie immensely. Best science fiction movie I've seen in a long long time.

Why have I not seen Fantastic Mr. Fox yet? That is a great question that I do not have an answer to.

That is all.

Guide to College

College is a silly place. This is an important thing to keep in mind if you are going to be a freshman. College is a place that cannot be expressed in words. Ever. By anybody. Ever. This is a short guide to things that every senior should keep in mind before becoming a freshman once again. Guess what? College is not high school. Guess what? College isn't all about impressing the sick older kids with your rad American Eagle polo's with popped collars. And guess what? You'll be regarded as a faggot by pretty much everybody. This probably isn't your fault. Then again it probably is. First thing you need to remember when at school, "Don't be a faggot."

Another thing. You and your roommate will not necessarily be best friends. You don't need to spend every minute with them trying to make sure that nobody is a better friend with them than you are. Odds are, you will hate your roommate by the end of the year. This is a true statement. Spending every day with a random person that the college decided to stick you with is not the best thing. Every little flaw that you see in your roommate will be magnified by 100 by the end of the year.

Along the same lines, the first good looking girl that you meet is not necessarily your soul mate. Sorry, she's probably crazy.

Class schedules are less rules, and more guidelines. First week of class, you should go. First warm week of spring, you should not go. First day of snow, it is probably too cold to go to class. Even if it isn't. It is.

In college, there are three main aspects to life. Studying. Sleeping. Social life. No matter how hard you try to manage your schedule you can only have two of these things. Your first semester you will choose social life and sleeping. By second semester of your first year, I promise you that you will no longer be sleeping. Ever.

Some quick tips. Don't be overly friendly. Don't ever post on the Facebook group for your class year. Don't try to be the raddest dude you can be. Don't snitch. Don't sleep. Don't try too hard.

Dorm Life is the most accurate depiction of college that I have found. I promise you that you will meet every stereotype that is on this show within your first semester of school. Most of these situations will happen to you. And you will find that I am correct in my statements.

Wizard People, Dear Reader

Watch as Brad Neely masterfully creates a new art form, combining misinformed story telling with the beautiful animal that is HP.

Clearification

You are a person. Demetri Martin is a person. Demetri Martin is a funnier person than you.

Top 5 with Viss Chrisser

Top 5 dream jobs
1. Martin Scorsese
2. Profession Movie-Watcher
3. Profession Music-Listener (Sunonthesand.net)
4. Jonny K
5. Professional Lover (Niko)

Top 5 albums all-time
1. 65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math
2. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
3. The Beatles - Abbey Road
4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# ∞
5. American Football - American Football

Top 5 non-Scorcese films
1. Reservoir Dogs
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. The Godfather
4. Schindler's List
5. Snatch

Top 5 things to do on the 20 hour drive to Texas
1. Make signs to talk to 12 year olds in large vans
2. Watching some Scootering in gas station parking lots
3. Stopping at Wendy's
4. Singing along to Tenacious D
5. Take pictures of Niko sleeping without waking him up

Top 5 reasons to live at home during college
1. Save Money
2. More time to listen to music
3. Quality time with mah 'Stang, Bula
4. Home-cooked food every night
5. Sectional Couch

Top 5 Dr. Pepper flavors
1. Regular
2. Vampire Bats
3. Delicious
4. Diet
5. Jonny K

Top 5 bands you despise but everybody else loves
1. Explosions In The Sky
2. Angels & Airwaves
3. Niko's favourite music
4. Mainstream Music
5. Music with words

Top 5 Asians
1. Sgt.
2. Mutyumu
3. Henry Wu (Jurassic Park)
4. Sabrina Bong
5. Hideo Kojima

Top 5 Rock Band songs
1. Reptillia
2. Gimme Shelter
3.Welcome Home
4. Won't Get Fooled Again
5. Ballroom Blitz

Top 5 things people don't know about you
1. I wanted to be a Power Ranger when I was a young lad. So much so that I had people call me "Billy." My uncle Phil still calls me this to this day.
2. I had the nickname "Critter" when I was born. My uncle Bob still calls me this and only this to this day.
3. I don't try very hard with a lot of things. I lack motivation.
4. I wish I was more like Jonny K
5. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people use the term "emo" improperly. It is not the neo-goth fashion style or a genre for bands like Dashboard Confessional. It means "emotive hardcore" and describes bands like Circle Takes The Square. And now you know.

Hear this album

MGMT is the most infectious band that I have ever heard. Combining a mix of indie pop rock and psychedelic electronica, their sophomore album Oracular Spectacular is sure to be stuck in your head for days and days. Highlights of the album include the opening track 'Time to Pretend' which is an anthem for the teenage generation's refusal to conform. Another highlight is 'Electric Feel'. The most addictive track on the album however is 'Kids'. The first time that I heard this track I had it in my head for at least a week. Listen to it at your own discretion and don't blame me when you have this whole album stuck in your head.

Grade= Gold Star

Top 5 with Niko

Top 5 people
1. Me
2. Kyle
3. Jonny K
4. Visser
5.Aaron

Top 5 sporting events you don't care about
1. US Open
2. World Series
3. World Cup
4. Superbowl is to football as ________ is to basketball
5. Superbowl

Top 5 things about Texas
1. People
2. Weather
3. Large trucks
4. Old men in the large trucks wearing cowboy hats
5. Chicken Express

Top 5 words to put a Z on the end of
1. Realz
2. Skillz
3. haxorz
4. ballz
5. zubaz
6. lolz

Top 5 Dragonball characters
1. Goku
2. Gohan
3. Trunks
4. Piccolo
5. Goten

Top 5 made up languages
1. Any language that isn't English is made up sooo....
2. German
3. Spanish
4. French
5. Romanian

Top 5 video games you used to play
1. Halo 2
2. Guitar Hero 2
3. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi
4. All Final Fantasy games
5. Kingdom Hearts 2

Top 5 things to argue about
1. Faith
2. Who ate the last of the ice cream
3. Girls
4. Who should let the dog out
5. Who farted

Top 5 reasons to visit WI
1. None
2. None
3. Some friends
4. None
5. Culvers/ Real cheese

Top 5 things to waste money on
1. WORLD OF WARCRAFT
2. Hollister clothes
3. Sweet tea
4. Video games I won't ever play
5. Mackers

Invention Mind Zone

Recently I was thinking about the future and all the stuff that we should be working on to make 2015 just like it is in Back to the Future II, because the way it's looking now, Marty Mcfly is going to be seriously disappointed when he shows up in Doc Brown's DeLorean.

1. Wireless electricity- Power outlets are out. We got wireless everything. Wireless phones, wireless internet, we even got wireless pop stars. The only thing holding us back is batteries having to be charged all the time. I figure if we combine electricity with magnets this should be no problem and our electronics will keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny.

2. New transpo- I came up with two solutions to the gas problem. First if we want to stick with automobiles, I figure, "Why use gas when we can just coast everywhere?" I am going to invent roads that only go downhill so that we can just coast everywhere. You're thinking, "Coasting is great, but what about when I have to go uphill?" Well when you need to go up, you just go on a loopdiloop and it will use your speed to make you go up. The second option is to get the scientists working on the tube technology. We just build huge tubes that go everywhere and use some sort of giant vacuum cleaner to suck us to our destination. We just have to flush ourselves to where we want to go.

3. Time travel- People have been time travelling for years on T.V. Marty Mcfly time travelled way back in 1985. Desmond Hume time travelled from a deserted island with no equipment. Only the power of his mind. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles time travelled twice. Once in TMNT 3 and once in Turtles in Time. And they aren't even human. Heck even Steve Urkel time travelled, and became a super cool dude. So why can't we just turn all of our gizmos and gadgets to 1.21 jigawatts and see what happens.

All this theorizing and brainstorming inventions is a lot for me to handle on my own, but since the scientists aren't stepping up, somebody better go into Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Doc Brown mode and save the future from embarrassing itself from time travelling turtle ninjas.

Drunk History

Want to watch drunk people talk about history? Yes you do.

Top Things of Oh Ate

1. Music discoveries
Thanks to people and things, I have learned about new music in 2008. Vampire Weekend. Manchester Orchestra. Favorite albums of 08: Narrow Stairs, Paper Trails, Red Album.
2. iPhone
Let me get this straight. I can use my iPod as a phone? Why didn't anybody think of this earlier.
3. College
It's pretty great. You can say naughty words and share a bathroom with numerous other guys. Oh and you can go to bed after 12.
4. Dewmocracy
Mountain Dew was all like, "Make our new flavor." America was all like, "Yep." Voltage was the best flavor by far.
5. Facial hair
Okay, well it's not here yet, but plans have been made to get this mustache underway ASAP.
6. Flight of the Conchords
HBO comedy about New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo. It's good. Just like Bret's beard.
7. Movies
I rented a movie just about every day this summer. It was a great summer. Some notable ones are Almost Famous, Sweeney Todd, Cloverfield, Garden State. Wes Anderson.
8. Starburst jelly beans
Honestly the greatest things ever.
9. Rainbow Twizzlers
Honestly the greatest things ever. Don't eat too many or you'll puke a spectrum of artificial food colors.
10. Naps
Who sleeps at night time? LAME.
11. Video Games
teh best gmes r lyk GTA IV, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In gta u can sh00t ppl in teh hed n run frm teh copz lawl

Folie a Deux

Want to listen to Fall Out Boy's new album before it's released on Tuesday? Today is your lucky day.